| Minor Pillar Edicts of Ashoka | |
|---|---|
 Minor Pillar Edict on the Sarnath pillar. | |
| Material | Sandstone |
| Created | 3rd century BCE |
| Present location | India,Nepal |
Locations of the Minor Pillar Edicts of Ashoka. | |
| Part of a series on the |
| Edicts of Ashoka |
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TheMinor Pillar Edicts of Indian EmperorAshoka refer to 4 separate minorEdicts of Ashoka (Schism Edict, Queen's Edict, 2 Commemorative inscriptions) inscribed on columns(Pillars of Ashoka) at 5 locations which are among the earliest dated inscriptions of any Indian monarch. A full English translation of the Edicts was published byRomila Thapar.[1]
These edicts are preceded chronologically by theMinor Rock Edicts(11th year of his reign) and may have been made in parallel with theMajor Rock Edicts(12th year of his reign). The inscription technique is generally poor compared for example to the laterMajor Pillar Edicts. However they are often associated with some of the artistically most sophisticated pillar capitals of Ashoka. This fact led some authors to think that the most sophisticated capitals were actually the earliest in the sequence of Ashokan pillars and that style degraded over a short period of time.[2]
These were probably made at the beginning of the reign of Ashoka (reigned 262-233 BCE), from 12th year of his reign, that is, from 250 BCE.[3]
Ashoka was the third monarch of theMaurya Empire inIndia, reigning from around 269 BCE.[4] Ashoka famously converted to Buddhism and renounced violence soon after being victorious in a gruesomeKalinga War, yet filled with deep remorse for the bloodshed of the war. Although he was a major historical figure, little definitive information was known as there were few records of his reign until the 19th century when a large number of his edicts, inscribed on rocks and pillars, were found inIndia,Nepal,Pakistan andAfghanistan. These many edicts were concerned with practical instructions in running a kingdom such as the design of irrigation systems and descriptions of Ashoka's beliefs in peaceful moral behavior. They contain little personal detail about his life.[4]
Asoka’s Minor Pillar Edicts are exclusively inscribed on several of thePillars of Ashoka, atSarnath,Sanchi,Allahabad (a pillar initially located inKosambi),Rummindei andNigali Sagar. They are all in thePrakrit language and theBrahmi script.
These pillar edicts are:[1]
Asoka’s injunction against shism in theSamgha. Found on theSarnath,Sanchi andAllahabad pillars.These are among the earliest inscriptions of Ashoka, at a time when inscription techniques in India where not yet mature.[5] In contrast, the lion capitals crowning these edicts (Sarnath and Sanchi) are the most refined of those produced during the time of Ashoka.[5]
All the Schism edits are rather fragmentary, but the similarity of their messages permit a clear reconstruction:
"TheBeloved of the Gods orders the officers ofKauśāmbī/Pāṭa(liputra) thus:No one is to cause dissention in theOrder. The Order ofmonks andnuns has been united, and this unity should last for as long as my sons and great grandsons, and the moon and the sun. Whoever creates a schism in the Order, whether monk or nun, is to be dressed in white garments, and to be put in a place not inhabited by monks or nuns. For it is my wish that the Order should remain united and endure for long. This is to be made known to the Order of monks and the Order of nuns."[6]
Ashoka announces that his second queen should be credited for her gifts. Found on theAllahabad pillar.
"On the order of the Beloved of the Gods, the officers everywhere are to be instructed that whatever may be the gift of the second queen, whether a mango-grove, a monastery, an institution for dispensing charity or any other donation, it is to be counted to the credit of that queen … the second queen, the mother ofTīvala,Kāruvākī."[6]
Although generally catalogued among the "Minor Pillar Edicts", the two inscriptions found in Lumbini and at Nigali Sagar are in the past tense and in the ordinary third person (not the royal third person), suggesting that are not pronouncements of Ashoka himself, but rather later commemorations of his visits in the area.[7] Being commemorative, these two inscriptions may have been written significantly later than the other Ashokan inscriptions.[7]
Records the visit of Ashoka toLumbini, location of the birth of theBuddha, in today'sNepal.
| Translation (English) | Transliteration (originalBrahmi script) | Inscription (Prakrit in theBrahmi script) |
|---|---|---|
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AtNigali Sagar, Ashoka mentions his dedication for the enlargement of the Stupa dedicated to theKanakamuni Buddha.
| Translation (English) | Transliteration (originalBrahmi script) | Inscription (Prakrit in theBrahmi script) |
|---|---|---|
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The inscription technique of the early Edicts, particularly the Schism Edcits at Sarnath, Sanchi and Kosambi-Allahabad, is very poor compared for example to the laterMajor Pillar Edicts, however the Minor Pillar Edicts are often associated with some of the artistically most sophisticated pillar capitals of Ashoka, such as the renownedLion Capital of Ashoka which crowned theSarnath Minor Pillar Edict, or the very similar, but less well preservedSanchi lioncapital which crowned the very clumsily inscribed Schism Edict of Sanchi.[15] These edicts were probably made at the beginning of the reign of Ashoka (reigned 262-233 BCE), from the year 12 of his reign, that is, from 256 BCE.[3]
According to Irwin, the Brahmi inscriptions on the Sarnath and Sanchi pillars were made by inexperienced Indian engravers at a time when stone engraving was still new in India, whereas the very refined Sarnath capital itself was made under the tutelage of craftsmen from the formerAchaemenid Empire, trained in Perso-Hellenistic statuary and employed by Ashoka.[14] This suggests that the most sophisticated capitals were actually the earliest in the sequence ofAshokan pillars and that style degraded over a short period of time.[15]
The Rummindei and Nigali Sagar edicts, inscribed on pillars erected by Ashoka later in his reign (19th and 20th year) display a high level of inscriptional technique with a good regularity in the lettering.[14]
The Minor Rock Edicts of Ashoka are exclusively inscribed on some of thePillars of Ashoka, atSanchi,Sarnath,Allahabad,Rummindei andNigali Sagar.
| Name | Location | Map | Pillar & inscription | Capital/ Close-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarnath (Lion Capital of Ashoka) | Located inSarnath,Uttar Pradesh Schism Edict.[16] Sarnath Schism Edict of Ashoka:
|  |  | |
| Sanchi | Located inSanchi,Madhya Pradesh Schism Edict.[16] Sanchi Schism Edict of Ashoka:
| | .jpg) | |
| Allahabad (Kosambi) | Main article:Allahabad pillar Located inAllahabad (originally inKosambi,BiharSchism Edict, Queen's Edict. SeveralMajor Pillar Edicts (1-6) are also inscribed.[16] Allahabad Schism Edict of Ashoka:
Allahabad Queen's Edict:
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| Rummindei /Paderia | Located inLumbini,Nepal Rummindei Edict.[16] Rummindei Edict of Ashoka:
|   | .jpg) | |
| Nigali Sagar | Located inNigali Sagar,Nepal Nigali Sagar Edict.[16] Nigali Sagar Edict of Ashoka:
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